DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar pledged $60 million on Thursday to help construct a natural gas pipeline running from Israel into the Gaza Strip, the Qatari government said, a project that aims to ease the energy crisis that long has afflicted the impoverished Palestinian enclave. Natural gas now flowing through a pipeline in Israel from the eastern Mediterranean will be transported via a new extension into Gaza, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced on its website. The European Union also has pledged over $24,448,800 to fund the pipeline on the Gaza side of the border, the ministry added. The small, energy-rich Gulf nation of Qatar has become a major donor to the Palestinians, providing $20 million to Gaza each month since 2018. Qatar has provided additional funds for development hospitals like roads and hospitals.

Source: Egypt Independent February 25, 2021 18:33 UTC